---
title: A kid in Texas says, "Free speech, bro, so the teacher can't give me… — The King, the courts and the rules abo… · tree and pragmatics
description: A kid in Texas says, "Free speech, bro, so the teacher can't give me detention for being rude. No cap." What is the truth? Test 3 · ★★★ of lesson 7 «The King, the courts and the rules above the rules» of the politics course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the que
---

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# Test 3 · ★★★ · The King, the courts and the rules above the rules

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A kid in Texas says, "Free speech, bro, so the teacher can't give me detention for being rude. No cap." What is the truth?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** kid, teacher, truth · **What happens:** say, not give, be · **To what, where:** Free speech, detention, kid · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 3 · ★★★ of lesson 7 «The King, the courts and the rules above the rules» of the politics course of Mova's primary school. The page gives the question's syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause, then the 4 options as the student saw them, each with its tree and pragmatics. Every text is parsed by Mova itself. How the student answered it, with the score of every option and why: [the test at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/politics/7-the-king-the-courts-and-the-rules-above-the-rules/#t3).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A kid in Texas says, "Free speech, bro, so the teacher can't give me detention for being rude.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:7-the-king-the-courts-and-the-rules-above-the-rules:t3:1
# text = A kid in Texas says, "Free speech, bro, so the teacher can't give me detention for being rude.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	kid	kid	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	in	in	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	Texas	Texas	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
5	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
7	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	Free	free	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	speech	speech	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
11	bro	bro	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	18	punct	_	_
13	so	so	ADV	RB	_	18	advmod	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	teacher	teacher	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	nsubj	_	_
16	ca	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	18	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	18	advmod	_	_
18	give	give	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	conj	_	_
19	me	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	18	iobj	_	_
20	detention	detention	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	obj	_	_
21	for	for	ADP	IN	_	23	case	_	_
22	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	23	cop	_	_
23	rude	rude	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	18	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | a kid in Texas | Free speech and bro |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent speech=Topic |
| 2 | **not** **give** *in a quote* | can | the teacher | detention | a kid in Texas *= kid* |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent i=Recipient detention=Theme |
| 3 | **is** *in a quote* | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | rude *property* | tree rules |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* No cap."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:7-the-king-the-courts-and-the-rules-above-the-rules:t3:2
# text = No cap."
1	No	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	2	det	_	_
2	cap	cap	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* What is the truth?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:7-the-king-the-courts-and-the-rules-above-the-rules:t3:3
# text = What is the truth?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	0	root	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	truth	truth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the truth |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He's right, schools can never have rules about talking

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:7-the-king-the-courts-and-the-rules-above-the-rules:t3:o1:1
# text = He's right, schools can never have rules about talking
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
5	schools	school	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
6	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
7	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	8	advmod	_	_
8	have	have	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	conj	_	_
9	rules	rule	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obj	_	_
10	about	about	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
11	talking	talk	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	9	acl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | He |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **not** **have** | can | schools | rules |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent rule=Patient |
| 3 | **talk** | gerund | rules *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn talk-37.5 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Free speech means you must say whatever the teacher says

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:7-the-king-the-courts-and-the-rules-above-the-rules:t3:o2:1
# text = Free speech means you must say whatever the teacher says
1	Free	free	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	speech	speech	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
5	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
6	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	ccomp	_	_
7	whatever	whatever	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	10	obj	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	teacher	teacher	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
10	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | Free speech |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | must | you |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | the teacher | whatever |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent whatever=Topic |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He's right, but only in Texas

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:7-the-king-the-courts-and-the-rules-above-the-rules:t3:o3:1
# text = He's right, but only in Texas
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
5	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
6	only	only	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	Texas	Texas	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | He |  |  | Texas |  | right *property* | tree rules |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Free speech stops the government punishing speech; school rules still apply

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:7-the-king-the-courts-and-the-rules-above-the-rules:t3:o4:1
# text = Free speech stops the government punishing speech; school rules still apply
1	Free	free	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	speech	speech	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	stops	stop	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	government	government	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	punishing	punish	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	3	xcomp	_	_
7	speech	speech	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	12	punct	_	_
9	school	school	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
10	rules	rule	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nsubj	_	_
11	still	still	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
12	apply	apply	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **stop** | present | Free speech | the government |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **punish** | gerund | Free speech *not said here* | speech |  |  |  |  | vn prosecute-33.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent speech=Patient |
| 3 | **apply** | present | school rules |  |  |  | still |  | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

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**Text:** the tests of Mova's primary school, written for Mova (`world/data/school/`), as the course runner gave them to the student. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each text read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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- ↑ back to [The King, the courts and the rules above the rules](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/politics/7-the-king-the-courts-and-the-rules-above-the-rules/)